About the three tools of JICA-Net and the history of Distance Technical Cooperation "JICA-Net" project.

Three tools of JICA-Net

Videoconferencing System

Videoconferencing system allows face-to-face communication among developing countries and Japan via global communication network. JICA makes use of this system for remote lectures, seminars and meetings in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in JICA's cooperation activities. For example, JICA has conducted real-time remote lectures simultaneously with several countries and provided workshops by experts in Japan to participants in developing countries.
As of September 2018, videoconferencing system operates in 78 countries: 18 domestic offices including headquarters, and 82 overseas offices.

Video Conference Facilities in Operation

Multimedia-based Learning Materials (Contents)

Multimedia-based learning materials use various types of digital medias such as movie, images and text. They are provided in the form of optical disks and also through our website "JICA-Net Library". JICA-Net has produced multimedia-based learning materials to share knowledge and experiences on JICA's international cooperation activities with our partners as well as to utilize them for capacity development as self-learning materials. Multimedia learning materials are categorized according to thematic issues. Over 3,500 copies of them in FY 2017 are used in JICA's activities such as in training and dialogue programs, technical cooperation projects, JICA volunteer activities, lectures and various events.

JICA-Net Library (Web site)

JICA-Net Library is an archive of digital contents including multimedia-based learning materials and syllabus or documents on distance lectures that allows JICA partners to refer them in their activities. As of April 2018, 490 titles are stored in the website and accessible anywhere in the world via internet.

A History of JICA-Net

The history of JICA-Net is divided into four phases. It started with the Establishment Phase in 2000, then, followed by the Development Phase (2004-2006) and the Evaluation and Promotion Phase (2007-2010), and currently in the Disseminate and Standardise Phase (2011-present).

The Establishment Phase was initiated in response to "Comprehensive Cooperation Package to Address the International Digital Divide" which was announced by Japanese government at the G8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit in 2000. Then in 2002, JICA formulated "Basic Plan on Distance Technical Cooperation" and launched JICA-Net programme which adopted information and communication technologies including videoconference system and distance learning method.

In the Development Phase, a videoconference system was introduced in a JICA office in the African region for the first time, and a network connecting fifty-five countries had been built up until 2006. Furthermore, approximately five hundred of contents including multimedia-based learning materials and seminar-related materials had been accumulated in a web site - JICA-Net Library - during this period.
The evaluations and promotion of the JICA-Net programme were implemented in the next phase from 2007.

In the Dissemination and Adaption Phase, the knowledge on distance technical cooperation, which has been gained throughout the JICA-Net programme so far, is being disseminated with the guidelines, manuals and multimedia-based learning materials to adapt the distance technical cooperation more efficiently and effectively in JICA projects.